


King Maker

by WaxRhapsodic



Series: Endgame Re-Imagined [7]
Category: Black Panther (2018), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Gen, Not A Fix-It, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not T'Challa Friendly, POV T'Challa (Marvel), Politics, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Black Panther (2018), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Realization, T'Challa (Marvel) Feels, Team consequences, not Wakanda friendly, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-17 03:30:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20614250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaxRhapsodic/pseuds/WaxRhapsodic
Summary: T'Challa reformed in a new world. He has a lot to answer for.





	King Maker

T’Challa gazed around him in blank shock. His only relief was that in this moment he truly felt empty, so nothing as embarrassing as fear was showing on his face. Being called to this meeting at all was surreal.

Reforming in the forest just outside the palace had been bizarre. For a moment he’d wondered if the arrival of the avengers and the alien invasion that followed was all some strange dream.

He'd stepped out of the trees to see battle lines drawn, filled with both old and new faces. Headed by the Gorilla tribe. M’Baku commanding.

There hadn’t been time to talk, to discover what had happened or realize how long they’d been gone before a portal was opening with a Wakandan woman in strange robes telling them the final battle was joined. (Since when did they send Wizards to train in Khamar-Taj?)

They’d stepped through and commenced the battle of their lives. It was unreal to see alien creatures with tech that far surpassed his own. To fight with Giants and heroes from around the world-though he later found they were from around the galaxy.

The Battle was fought and won, though many of his warriors fell to true death just hours after being granted the gift of life once more.

It was a bittersweet victory.

They’d lost Iron-Man, though Dr. Strange was able to use the Time Stone to save the dying Tony Stark at the cost of his right arm. The innovator made it clear that he was firmly retired after this ordeal. That the Earth needed to find a new hero. He had a daughter to raise and an economy to rapidly expand- a reverse of the triage Stark industries had helped to enact five years prior when the SNAP erased half of all life.

But it was nothing compared to this.

Five years. _Five years_. And the world kept turning. Life went on. Wakanda rebuilt, reformed. Stronger and brighter than ever. Without him or Shuri to take the helm.

Their mother had gone into deep grieving and turned to M’Baku to lead. T’Challa tried not to judge her too harshly for making such a decision. After all, M’Baku had saved them all when N’Jakada took the throne. But that didn’t mean the other man could be trusted to rule.

He was practically a technophobe!

Or he had been when T’Challa had known him five years prior.

It seemed much had changed in that time. And he had been reviled in his absence.

“The usurper would never have had a chance to attempt a Wakandan Empire had you not accepted his kingship challenge when you had no obligation to! You had a responsibility to your people that you failed yet again!” the council woman from the River Tribe said sharply (young-just a few years his senior, new, he didn’t recognize which house she’d been chosen from).

He opened his mouth to respond when the delegate from the Mining Tribe spoke over him with a deep frown (more new blood, though he was easily a decade older than T’Challa and was well known to him as a man with firm opinions. They’d never gotten along as he wasn’t afraid to question anyone, even the King when he felt the need.)

“What our sister is clearly referring to is your rampage through Bucharest to avenge your father upon the wrong man. You brought much unwanted attention to Wakanda when you were unmasked on a European Freeway. And even more so when your suit was discovered to be pure vibranium! Of course you then decided unilaterally to spit in the face of our customs and reveal us to the world at large in front of the United Nations!” he looked disgusted with T’Challa. It made him feel small when all he’d been trying to do was help people.

“Even now they turn to us with accusing eyes, asking for aid which M’Baku has handled admirably,” another council member, the only survivor from the council he’d inherited from his father, said adoringly of the other man.

T’Challa looked to the other man, sitting in what was once his throne. The fact that the larger man wasn’t gloating, was only looking on with a mixture of pity and exasperation only made it worse.

He finally spoke. “I have offered financial and medical aid. People knew we had it and would have used force to come and take it. We might have prevailed but we might not. And it certainly wouldn’t have gained us further allies. Our borders remain shut except to political envoys. No outsider is granted citizenship or allowed to live here.”

T’Challa bristled at the notion that Wakanda couldn’t take on all comers. They were the greatest nation on Earth! He said as much, practically sneering at the other mans weakness.

A king could show no such fear to challengers, especially foreign ones.

M’Baku sighed. “This brings us to the point. _Yes_, we could have survived had you_ not_ outed us to the world. _Not_ rampaged with other Super Powered beings in Europe and Asia. _Not_ brought international fugitives to the safety of Wakanda and used our resources to provide comfort and aid to them. Up to and including _weapons and armor._ We might have made a stand and been able to go back into isolation, none the wiser. But you made that impossible and now our only path lies before us.”

T’Challa didn’t understand the problem. He was the King; he had every right and responsibility to make these decisions not just for his nation but for the world. He didn’t speak, but M’Baku looked at him like he knew his mind.

“Unlike your _friends,_” he frowned, “The Avengers. We accept and embrace death and it’s sacred permanence. We do not seek to undo what has been done.”

T’Challa felt deep twinge of uncertainty at his words. The shock was rapidly wearing off as his hands trembled like he was preparing for a fight. How he wished it could be one of physical prowess and not this battle of words he was rapidly losing.

He straightened his shoulders, ready to defend himself and the decisions he’d made what seemed like months ago to him. “M’Baku-“

“You will address the King by his proper Title,” Okoye said sharply from her place flanking the throne. She didn’t turn her gaze to look at him. He tried not to feel betrayed, after all she served the throne, not his bloodline.

T’Challa swallowed thickly, a feeling of horrible inevitability coming over him. “Your Majesty,” he began again only for M’Baku to cut him off with a gesture.

“Before you explain yourself, answer one question for me. Do you know _why_ we couldn’t return to isolation? _Why_ we feared attacks from a desperate, grieving world?”

T’Challa took a moment and thought. But nothing came to mind. They had the best technology in the world, a force field, a formidable army, and natural barriers on all sides. What had they to fear?

M’Baku shook his head in disappointment. “You are still a naïve boy, playing a man’s game. We lost more than that. We lost half our population, true. But before that we lost hundreds more to a battle_ your_ allies brought to our doorstep with _your blessing!_ You opened the barrier to protect an outsider while allowing inside feral beast from beyond the stars to feast on the flesh of our kin! Without the barrier we were exposed to the eyes of the world when their satellites turned to see what had entered the atmosphere!”

He sat back in the throne with a heavy sigh. “You agreed it would be the end of Wakanda, and let it be a glorious end. But we few-less than half-remaining? We had to survive. To go on. It was an end, but not a glorious one. An end to the way things were yes. And all we can do is move forward.”

T’Challa spoke into the silence. By rights he was still King! He could make this right given the chance! “_I am the King,_ according to the old laws. I defeated you in combat-”

“And then you died,” M’Baku said almost gently. “Ending your rule. _I_ am the King. My children-three of whom were returned to me through unnatural means- are being raised to battle for the throne when the time comes. The council agrees with me. You brought curses and ruination upon us in _less than a year of rule_. _No one_ supports your claim, or that of your disrespectful sister.

You may remain as citizens of your home land. Live as the nobles of the Panther Tribe that you are. But you will earn your way from here. Be it as a scientist or a doctor.” He said grimly, clearly referring to Shuri’s appointment as head scientist over many other candidates available at the time.

They weren’t necessarily smarter, but they had far more experience in the field. T’Challa remembered the hundreds of anonymous letters of petition at her appointment. At the time he’d thought the scientists were being petty, driven by jealousy of her genius. But perhaps his father had been wrong again and neither of them were actually mature enough for the roles they’d held. 

He took a deep breath and looked around at the council. He only had this one chance to turn things around. “I am sorry for the trouble I have brought to our door through the _best_ of intentions. I meant no harm to our country or our people-”

“And yet you caused death and destruction more like a plague than a king!” one of the council members snapped at him. “Even now you think we are made whole? Your Avengers brought back those who turned to dust before their time, but the deaths that followed from accidents and suicide? Those were not undone. Those we can only wait to see in the afterlife.” He blinked his over bright eyes and turned a sneer on the former King. T’Challa wondered who he’d lost, who he’d have to grieve all over again after a moment of hope.

The councilman continued. “Your line is not fit to rule! You and your blood kin are hereby banned from leadership of your tribe or of the nation for the next hundred years.”

T’Challa sucked in a breath, nearly choking on his tongue at the harsh punishment. He tried to speak but nothing came out.

M’Baku gestured again and two Dora stepped to his side to escort him back to the suite he’d been granted during the resettlement- or more likely to his family property outside the city. No doubt his rooms had been cleared during this meeting.

“T’Challa,” he looked up at the larger man, at the grey in his hair and the wisdom in his eyes and felt impossibly young. “We have allies now. If they wish you to answer for your crimes diplomatic immunity no longer applies to you or your sister.”

Shuri? What had she? Then it hit him. He remembered her faking documents and currency from outsider nations and even committing vehicular manslaughter in South Korea. But she’d been underage-he’d take the fall for giving her those orders if at all possible. He had no desire to ruin her life the way he’d ruined the country his ancestors had built. He nodded grimly to his successor.

M’Baku looked almost sorry to deliver the news. But T’Challa had made this world through a series of decisions that felt natural and right at the time. As he was lead away, he suddenly understood what it was to be hoist with his own petard.

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think? Seeing him standing with his Family on the Balcony watching the celebrations in the capital was weird to me! We saw that M'Baku had the right to the throne and didn't get dusted. Who was in charge for five years? Why would they just step down when he returned? We see the Dora assisting the remaining Avengers like they've become a part of the outside world but to what degree? 
> 
> do you like his consequences? Do you think i missed anything? Comment and let me know! Also any Endgame or infinity War rewrite suggestions? i can't promise to write them but i'll promise to try! thanks for reading!


End file.
